MFPA Player Zone Magazine #4

Player Zone 2019 Player Zone 2019
BOSMAN THE
FREEDOM
FIGHTER
DR. SIHON GAUCI
Most players around the world are blissfully unaware of who Jean Marc
Bosman is. Perhaps they have heard his name in passing, but have no idea
of the deep impact he has had on their football careers, and the football
game as a whole.
Bosman, born in the sixties in Belgium, played for Belgian first division club
Standard de Liege and RFC Liege, with stints on his country’s national youth
team. In 1990 his contract with RFC Liege expired and he wanted to go play
for Dunkerque in France. However, the Belgian side demanded a transfer
fee that was far too steep for the French side, so the transfer fell through.
Knowing that he had wanted to move on from their club, the Belgian side
reacted by reducing his wages and not including him on the first team. These
actions not only prevented him from moving forward in his career, but also
tangibly forced him backwards. Bosman decided to fight back. He took his
case all the way to the European Court of Justice and sued for restraint of
trade.
His courage in challenging an unfair system
made him the most famous freedom fighter
in sports. Many argued this would prove to
be the downfall of football. However, as
time has shown, they were all on the wrong
side of history. In fact, if anything, football
has continued to grow exponentially since.
But the legal victory was bittersweet for the
man who made it happen. The irony is, that
on that faithful day of the 15th December
1995, in winning freedom of movement for
players all around the world, Bosman lost
his own. Following the decision, he faced
retribution and was effectively shunned
from football. No one wanted anything to
do with the person who had challenged the
status quo. His football career in tatters,
he became depressed, fell into alcoholism
and his life took a complete downward
spiral. These kinds of bullying tactics used in
football against players, still happen today
on a regular basis. This is where players’
unions become invaluable.
Five years later, on the 15th of December 1995, in a decision that stunned the
football world, the Court ruled in his favour. It declared that the FIFA system
in place, violated EU treaty law because it placed an undue restriction on the
free movement of workers. In the months that followed FIFA and federations
all around the world removed the transfer fee at the end of the contract. Of
course we all know Malta was an exception, and the illicit system known as
Parameters, is still unfortunately very much alive and kicking.
10 Bosman the Freedom Fighter